


Sweep Him Off His Feet

by nychus



Series: IgNoct Week 2019 [8]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Ignoct Week, Ignoct Week 2019, M/M, Met in a coffee shop, Only One Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 16:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20118082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nychus/pseuds/nychus
Summary: Ignis needs a date for his cousin's wedding and Noctis volunteers his servicesIgNoct Week - Day 8:Free!





	Sweep Him Off His Feet

“You look like you’ve been through the ringer,” Noctis said as Ignis entered his apartment. “What’s up?”

Small miracle for Ignis today was being able to look over at the prince and see that he was actually looking at the meeting notes that they needed to discuss. One thing was finally going right. It felt like everything that could possibly go wrong today had and it all cumulated with a phone call from his mother.

“My gran is ready to wed me off to the highest bidder,” Ignis sighed as he started unpacking the groceries.

“What?”

“You know how I am returning to Tenebrae for my cousin’s wedding next month?”

“Yeah…”

“Apparently Gran has decided that at the ripe old age of twenty-one I am far too old to be unwed and she is going to find me a suitable date for the evening.”

“But it’s just a date, right? One evening?” Noctis had made his way over to the peninsula and settled on a stool.

“You do not know my gran. Whoever she picks she will force me to marry, or at least do her best to.”

“You can’t just tell her no? I mean, you’re adviser to the crown prince of Lucis, that’s gotta count for something, right?”

Ignis leveled Noctis with a look, “Not in the least. Lucis is not Tenebrae and thus inferior. Lucis also had the gall to steal one of her precious grandchildren away and thus deserves her ire. She tolerates my father because he willingly came to Tenebrae to stay, but she loathes my uncle and refuses to be in the same room as him should both sides of the family be visiting.”

“Hmm.”

The apartment became silent save for whatever Ignis was preparing for the meal. Noctis was deep in thought and eventually suggested, “Why don’t you just say you’re already dating someone?”

That caused Ignis to pause. For a second, he could see how that might work, but then reality came crashing back down, “If I don’t show up with a date, it won’t matter.”

“So, actually take a date.”

“The wedding is in a month, Noctis. There is no way I could find someone who could take off on such short notice to go to a foreign country.”

“I’ll go! I’ll be your date,” Noctis said with a grin.

“Noct…”

“What? I haven’t been to Tenebrae since I was a kid. I’d love to see your home and your parents are awesome! It’ll be fun!”

“Yes, what fun when the press catches hold of it and suddenly there’s a big scandal about the crown prince dating his adviser.”

“But…”

“No, Noct.”

And that was the end of the conversation. Noctis pouted and returned to the living area to watch TV as Ignis finished dinner.

~*~*~*~*~

Two days later, Ignis was on the phone with his gran; who was actually his great grandmother, it was just everyone called her Gran. She was at least being kind enough to try to ask his preferences, although her insistence quickly made the kindness go away.

“Why must you be so obstinate? It’s that Lucian influence,” Gran groused.

Ignis was used to his grandmother’s jabs at his home and his heredity and he was extremely tired of going in circles with her. It was clear she wasn’t going to take no for an answer and out of frustration he said, “Gran, I have a boyfriend.”

A beat of silence and then, “Excuse me? Why didn’t you mention this before? Are you ashamed of him?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s that it is new and we’re still feeling each other out.”

“You will be bringing him to the wedding then.”

He sighed, “Gran, it’s still new, I don’t think it’ll be appropriate to bring him to a wedding.”

“You are ashamed of him. He’s not worth it if you can’t bring him to visit your family. You are better than him.”

“He’s the crown prince of Lucis! No one could be ashamed of him!” Ignis all but yelled. Upon realizing what he said, he collapsed in a nearby chair and rubbed his face. Why did he say that? Why did he bring Noctis into this?

His grandmother tutted. “You’re dating the young man you are supposed to be looking after. Ignis…”

“It’s been building between us for years. We’ve finally decided to test it out,” Ignis lied, hoping his words were making some sense. “It’s new. It might not work out. As no one knows, it doesn’t seem prudent to invite him to a wedding as my date.”

The silence had Ignis hoping that perhaps the lies made sense and his grandmother would see reason.

Then, “If he cares about you, he’ll accompany you.”

And that was that. No more conversation to be had as the phone went dead and Ignis was left staring at it in disbelief.

~*~*~*~*~

Noctis had been amused when Ignis admitted what he had told his grandmother and was quick to start thinking about the trip.

Ignis, on the other hand, felt a sense of dread when it came to informing King Regis about everything. After securing a private meeting, he was a bundle of nerves knocking on the office door. Cor was on his way out and held the door for Ignis. Taking a seat across from Regis, the door clicked closed and the king was giving him quite the scrutinizing look.

“Ignis, what was so important that you needed to meet?”

“I’m to attend my cousin’s wedding in Tenebrae in a couple of weeks,” he started.

“Ah, yes, I believe Noctis mentioned that at our last dinner.”

Okay, Regis already knew about the wedding. “Yes, well, my grandmother is a very overbearing woman and has set her sights on making my wedding the next one.”

The king chuckled. “I’m sure that goes over well with you.”

“It does not, Your Majesty, and in a desperate attempt to stop the matchmaking, I told my grandmother that I was dating your son. I’m truly sorry, I panicked and Noctis had already put the idea in my head.”

Ignis wasn’t sure what to expect out of the revelation, but he certainly wasn’t expecting more laughter.

“Yes, I know,” Regis finally managed. “Noctis already told me.”

“He did? When?”

“This morning. He called to say you were going to ask for a meeting and told me why. I’m sorry, I should have told you, but I wanted to see what you’d say.”

Unsure what to say, Ignis said nothing.

“It’s fine. Take him. He’d love to see Tenebrae again.”

“You are alright with me being in a fake relationship with your son?” Ignis asked. “What of the press?”

“I think we can sneak him out of the city without anyone being wise to it. It is unlikely anyone outside of Fenestala Manor will recognize him in Tenebrae and a fake identity should suffice at the wedding.”

“But…”

“Ignis,” Regis said, sitting a bit forward as he leaned on his desk, “I give you permission to date my son. Take him to Tenebrae and sweep him off his feet. Make all the young singles envy him and annoy your grandmother with his presence.

“Besides, it would be the first time a Lucis Caelum offered up their hand as a fake boyfriend. I was Clarus’s date to a family function for much the same reason. We tried to convince Cor to do it, but he was much too stern back in the day. Aulea thought it was hilarious and the entire Amicitia clan were scandalized. Fortunately, Clarus met Lily not long after and our whirlwind romance came to an end. So, go, allow my son to be your date.”

Ignis smiled and thanked Regis. He’d have to remember to find out more about that story at a later date and he couldn’t help but wonder how Cor could be even more stern than he is now.

~*~*~*~*~

“Ignis! Over here!”

Ignis and Noctis looked towards the sound of the voice as they stepped off the train. A blond woman was waving her hand as she tried to get their attention. Ignis smiled and led the way over.

“Katerina, how wonderful to see you,” Ignis greeted with a hug.

“I’m so glad you could come! Who’s this?”

“I’m Luke,” Noctis greeted. “Congratulations on the wedding. Ignis has been very excited to come home and join the festivities.”

“So…boyfriend?” Katerina asked Ignis. He nodded and she laughed. “Bet Gran is furious.”

“She would have much preferred to have picked a wife out of your guest list, that is for certain. Where is the groom-to-be?”

“Sean is getting some last-minute alterations to his tux and then it’s the bachelor’s party. He has invited you to go, but I imagine you’d rather visit with your parents.”

“Yes, it has been too long.”

“I’m meeting with my girlfriends soon, but I wanted to meet you at the station. Come, I’ll take you home before I head out.”

The three piled into Katerina’s little car, with Noctis insisting he carry and pack up his own luggage, much to Ignis’s annoyance. She asked how they met, how long they had been dating, and other such questions.

As paranoid as Ignis was about the whole ordeal, he had come up with a very elaborate story that shouldn’t have any holes in it; so long as Noctis remembered everything.

They met in the Citadel, where Luke’s father worked. Luke would come in occasionally for afternoon tea. During Luke’s visits, he and Ignis would spot each other and soon Luke was trying to figure out who Ignis was and trying to get to the coffee shop around the same time as Ignis did. Small talk in line became flirtatious and Luke eventually became brave enough to ask Ignis out for dinner. They had a few dates before becoming exclusive and that was only a month ago once Luke had graduated high school.

“I’m surprised you didn’t run screaming when he asked you to be his date for the wedding,” Katerina said.

Noctis laughed. “Well, he seemed just desperate enough.” Ignis shot Noctis a look, and the prince continued, “But who am I to turn down a trip to Tenebrae? Especially when he insists he pay for everything despite my protests.”

“I hope you get a chance to look around with a guide other than Ignis. He’ll show you his favorite coffee shops and bookstores, but nothing else.”

“Katerina…” Ignis started, but she just laughed and Noctis defended him.

“Fine by me. I want to see Tenebrae as Ignis loves it.”

“Okay, you two get out of my car before you get any more sappy,” Katerina said as she pulled up to Ignis’s parents’ house. “Luke, good luck with Gran. She will put you through the paces.”

“Will do!”

“Ignis, we’ll catch up soon, I just have some wedding things to do first. But, seriously, I’m so glad you could make it.”

“I wouldn’t have missed this for anything, Katerina,” Ignis told her. He and Noctis grabbed their luggage and waved goodbye to Katerina before heading towards the front door.

Serena Scientia greeted them before they had a chance to knock. Ignis greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

“I’m so glad to have you home. I miss you when you’re gone. Let me look at you. Have you gotten taller? Are you eating enough? Do I need to send you back lots of food?” The questions came off rapid fire and Ignis didn’t get a chance to answer a single one. Eventually she turned her attention to Noctis. “Oh, this must be your boyfriend. The one you didn’t feel fit to tell your mother about? Hello, I am Ignis’s mother, Serena.”

She held out her hand to Noctis who held it lightly and brought it to his lips to kiss. Ignis didn’t think he could roll his eyes any harder. “A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Scientia. I’m Luke.”

Serena laughed. “Luke, that should be easy to remember. How are you, Noctis?”

“Very well, thank you! Ignis is keeping me in line as only he can.”

“I’ll take Noctis’s things to the guestroom and give him a quick tour of the house,” Ignis said, stooping to grab the bag.

“Actually, your grandmother has insisted on staying here, so she is in the guestroom. You and Noctis must share.”

He should have expected this. His grandmother was going to be overly insistent on watching every interaction of his and Noctis’s to be sure they were truly dating. If there was a hint of a lie or of discontent, Ignis knew she would sweep in and pry at the weakness until he caved and allowed her to set him up with one of the many eligible young ladies attending the wedding.

“Alright, then, Noct, let’s take our things to my room. I can give you a tour.”

Ignis led Noctis upstairs and into his bedroom, which was the first door on the right. Along the way, he pointed at each door to tell him what was behind them. Most importantly was to point out the bathroom, which fortunately, they wouldn’t have to share with anyone as the guest room had a small en-suite for his grandmother.

Inside the room that Ignis had always claimed as his own, he set their bags down on the bed and frowned. He only had a full-sized bed, which would make for very close sleeping quarters should they share.

“Not much in here,” Noctis observed looking around.

“I never really lived here,” Ignis responded. “I moved to Insomnia when I was six, if you recall.”

Noctis shrugged as he continued to look around the room. There were things lining the shelves and a computer on the desk, but that was because his parents used it much like a study while he was away. Ignis didn’t mind. For one, he didn’t really live there. For two, he liked coming home and seeing what his parents were working on and being surrounded by their books.

Before Ignis had a chance to suggest finding a cot or blowup mattress, there was a knock on the door and Ignis’s gran was standing there.

She was in her late 90s and while one might guess that from her looks, you’d never know from the way she moved. Gran was ornery and spry and was definitely the matriarch of Saxum family and all families that married in. Ignis’s mother’s maiden name was Mare and now her married name was Scientia, but Gran ruled them all.

“Ah, so you must be the young man so intent on stealing my great grandson away,” she said by way of greeting.

“Gran…”

“Let the boy talk, Ignis,” she snapped. Ignis instantly shut his mouth and looked over to Noctis.

“I…guess?” Noctis said, glancing at him. “I mean, this is all new, so…uh…”

“So eloquent,” she scoffed. “This is the future king of Lucis?”

“Not while he’s here,” Ignis quickly said. “He’s just Luke. Luke who I met at a coffee shop in the Citadel. You, Mother, and Father are the only ones who know his true identity.”

“Yeah, yeah. He’s embarrassed of you, so he doesn’t want to let the world know.”

“What? NO!” Noctis exclaimed. “Who could be embarrassed of Ignis? He’s like, the best human in all of Eos! Trust me, if I could, I would scream it from the top of the Citadel. I’d…” Noctis suddenly quieted and blushed furiously. Ignis couldn’t help but wonder what he was going to say, but dared not ask. The prince eventually recovered. “But, it’s still new and we don’t know if we’re work like this. No need to pull the gossip columns in before we’re certain.”

They both watched Gran closely and her face softened after a moment’s reflection. It seemed that Noctis had said the right thing. “Hmm, well, welcome to my granddaughter’s home,” was all she said before leaving the room.

All the tension in Ignis’s body lifted. The first hurdle was done. Gran approved enough. Now just to get through the rest of the trip. Five more days…

“I’ll go see if Mother has a cot or blowup mattress to sleep on,” Ignis said.

“That bed is big enough for both of you!” Gran’s voice called.

“Gran…” Ignis sighed. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get out of this one.

“It’s fine, Specs. We both know I’m more likely to cling to you than anything. I can’t imagine my sleeping habits have changed too much since the last time we shared a bed.” Noctis grinned.

This was likely true. They hadn’t shared a bed since before the Marilith attack but Ignis would always wake with Noctis clutching his pajamas. A comically large king-sized bed for two little boys and Noctis had to be wherever Ignis was. Ignis conceded and they left to see if they could help with dinner.

~*~*~*~*~

The first night in Tenebrae was spent at home. Sophos and Serena enjoyed hearing about Noctis’s life and the responsibilities he was slowly gaining. Despite the distance, Ignis always kept in touch with his parents and they were very close; there wasn’t much about his own life they didn’t know.

Gran kept asking about their relationship, how they got together, and why they didn’t tell anyone. Ignis did his best to placate her, but by the time they went to bed that first night, he was exhausted. Noctis was sweet about it, which was a testament to how frustrated he must look or sound. Normally, Noctis would take the opportunity to tease him, but instead he just said goodnight and crawled into bed.

The second day, they had free time, so Ignis took Noctis around Tenebrae. Noctis truly did want to see Ignis’s favorite places, even if he’d hardly spent any time there. Ignis laughed and took him to his favorite little café where they grabbed a light lunch before walking over to the park. It was a beautiful day and Ignis could actually believe this wasn’t all a lie, that they were actually dating.

When he had told his gran that this had been building for years, it wasn’t a complete lie. At least not on Ignis’s part. He didn’t know when he fell in love with his prince, but somehow it had happened. Ignis was glad that he had been taught the art of compartmentalizing emotions so well because he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to ignore his feelings without it. It was easy enough to slide those feelings into the deepest recesses of his conscience so that he could focus on his friendship and his job.

But being able to walk around Tenebrae with a smiling, laughing Noctis, it was hard to keep those emotions in check. Ignis supposed he could just say he was being sure to play the part of doting boyfriend should Noctis or his parents asked, but…

The third day Ignis spent much of his time with Katerina, helping her with last minute venue details. It was good to be able to catch up with her and other relatives that came in and out during the day. At lunch, Noctis brought in sandwiches from the café, surprising Ignis with such a kind, thoughtful gesture. He then hung around a little while to help, but eventually Noctis headed back home. When he returned later, he had a change of clothes for Ignis and they enjoyed the rehearsal dinner with Ignis’s family.

The fourth day was the wedding and it was beautiful. Katerina looked radiant in her gown and everyone could see how happy she was. It was Sean that had troubles getting through the vows due to his own tears of happiness. Once they were married in the beautiful ceremony, they headed to the reception to celebrate the union.

Dinner and speeches came first and then it was time to party.

Ignis had resigned himself to doing some dancing while at the party, but he hoped that he wouldn’t be dragged into much. He wasn’t keen on more modern, fast pace dances, although he was fine with the slower songs. Noctis dragged him out to do a strange line dance-like dance, but it was all Ignis could do to keep up.

“I thought for sure you’d be able to follow the instructions!” Noctis laughed as they went back to their table.

Then came the couples dance. All couples were to get on the dance floor with the bride and groom to enjoy a slow, romantic dance together. Ignis could feel his Gran’s eyes on him and didn’t hesitate once the event was announced. He stood from his seat and held his hand out to Noctis. Together, they joined the other gathering couples and started dancing.

“This has been a lot of fun,” Noctis told him, quietly, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear. “Thank you for bringing me.”

“I must admit that you have made this the most wonderful of trips home. I’m glad you suggested this and joined me.”

They danced in silence for a moment before Noctis spoke again.

“I kind of like being your boyfriend,” he said, even quieter than before. Ignis couldn’t help but smile. “It’s gonna suck going home and returning to our normal life.”

Ignis hummed in acknowledgement, not quite sure what to say. He wished he could tell him that it didn’t have to end in Tenebrae. That they could continue this back in Lucis. That….that…

Ignis’s eyes widened as he remembered what Regis had told him. “I give you permission to date my son.” Not: “to take him as a date.” Not: “only for this trip.” His instruction was to sweep Noctis off of his feet. Had Regis been giving him implicit permission? Something he could see that perhaps the two of them didn’t?

“I like having you as a boyfriend,” Ignis hedged, just in case he was reading this situation wrong. Noctis met his eyes and Ignis could see him searching for the truth. “I suppose that this doesn’t have to end once go home.”

Noctis’s eyes kept searching, but Ignis could see the grin forming on his lips. “Really?”

It was now or never, Ignis decided to lay it all out and see where it landed them. “When Gran asked me about dating you, about dating the ‘young man I was supposed to be looking after,’ I told her it had been building for years. That was a partial truth, at least on my part. I realized, one day, that I very much cared for you in more than a friendly sort of way.”

“You never said anything because you thought it was weird, right?” Noctis asked.

It was then that Ignis knew that Noctis felt the same. It was the way those words left his mouth. The embarrassment and shame of having these feelings and being afraid to act upon them.

Ignis nodded. “Exactly.”

“So, you didn’t lie to your gran about that. We just hadn’t gotten to the part we’d realized it about each other yet.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. Noctis, finding that one little angle. “Does your father know of your feelings?”

The look on Noctis’s face was one of surprise and one that said ‘why would you bring him up?’ but he answered. “I think he may have guessed. Why?”

“When I went to ask to bring you to the wedding as my date, he gave me permission to date you.”

“What? Really?”

Ignis relayed the conversation as best he could remember and Noctis came to the same conclusion that he had. Regis could see it and was hoping this would push them over the edge.

“So, does this mean I can be your boyfriend, for real?” Noctis asked.

“If you’ll have me,” Ignis replied. He then leaned in with the intent of giving Noctis a quick kiss, but it somehow became a little bit more than that. They danced close until the end of the song and as they were walking back to their table, hand in hand, Ignis noticed they were getting a lot of looks. He knew he should feel embarrassed, but he found that he didn’t care.

“I think you may have succeeded in making everyone jealous of me,” Noctis grinned.

“Are you sure they aren’t jealous of me?” Ignis countered. They shared a laugh and enjoyed the rest of the night in merriment and laughter.

~*~*~*~*~

Ignis was first awake the following morning. Now that he and Noctis were officially dating, it felt a bit weird sharing his bed with him. Before he could convince himself they were just friends having a sleep over, but now there was something a bit more naughty to the idea. Finding it a silly thought, Ignis went downstairs in search of coffee.

“Have a good night?” Sophos asked when Ignis entered the kitchen. He gave a hum in response.

Ignis was still coming out of the haze of sleep and was in dire need of some caffeine. As such, he did not see the knowing looks on either of his parents’ faces.

They waited patiently for his mind to wake up. When it did, he realized they were watching him with sly grins. “What?”

“So, you and the prince aren’t really dating? Isn’t that what you told me before you came here?” Serena asked.

“Well, yes…”

“And yet we see you two dancing so very close together during the couples dance last night,” Sophos continued.

Ignis could feel his ears turning red.

“So close, you were practically kissing…oh! Wait, you were,” Serena finished. The pair laughed at Ignis’s embarrassment. “Oh, sweetheart, we’re sorry, we couldn’t resist.”

“You two do fit naturally together. We’re happy for you. Both of you,” Sophos added.

“Thank you,” was all Ignis could answer.

~*~*~*~*~

When they returned to Lucis, it was very much the return to normal life. Only now Ignis was fighting off a clingy Noctis in the mornings and there was the addition of kisses. Lots of kisses. It was bliss.

They were right in thinking Regis was expecting (hoping?) this. Prompto was confused. Happy, but confused. Gladio just kind of shrugged as if it weren’t anything special (and perhaps he too had seen what they hadn’t.)

The worst was when about a week after they returned from Tenebrae, Umbra showed up in the apartment with Lady Lunafreya’s notebook. Inside there was an image of the pair kissing at the wedding. Next to it was a note that said, _One of my attendants was at the wedding and was showing me pictures. I thought you might find this one interesting._ Next to it was a little heart.

At least they got a nice picture to go along with their embarrassment.

**Author's Note:**

> Me: I'm gonna write a fake dating story because I've never done that before.
> 
> Me: How did I manage "there's only one bed" in this?
> 
> Me: Waaaaaiiiitttt...their cover story is that they met in a coffee shop? Have I read too much fanfiction?
> 
> I truly only started out with the fake dating aspect, then everything else happened. I also only realized I kind of squeeze that coffee shop au thing today or yesterday after I've been sitting on this story for about 7 months. Haaaaaaaaaaa


End file.
